Spout connector/shorting bar.

[Geeshik]

Where are these on a 1993 Ford Ranger? The haynes book says inline with the pink wire on the distributor connector, but i don't even see a pink wire. Where is my ignition control module? So far i haven't found anything. What does it even look like?

I've been looking for a while now, but haven't found it. My truck fires and almost runs, but i need to time it right.

 

[Geeshik]

I found the ignition control module. It is just to the left of the radiator (looking out windshield) on the radiator support between the headlight and the radiator. There is a two wire connector inline from that that has a pink and a pink/white wire going to it, but there is nothing connected to it. Is that supposed to be the spout connector? i marked all the connections that i disconnected before i pulled it apart. If it did have something plugged into it, it's missing, because i have no idea what belongs there. All of my other wiring connectors mate to something except one round, black, four prong plug behind the engine.

There is another connector with a gray block attached to it in the left inner fender. It looks like it has three prongs attached, and without taking it apart, they look corroded green. That's all i see other than a vacuum line that was plugged with a bolt at some point for some reason. Any ideas??? Anyone???

 

[Geeshik]

Need a little help.

I worked on my truck again some today. Since i don't know what's going on with the spout connector, i'll just assume that the plug near the radiator with the pink wires is it, and it is definitely removed.

I got the distributor positioned with #1 almost dead center with the engine at 0, and it will run, but it doesn't run strong or smooth and it eventually stalls. It sounds kinda like an old tractor with just the y pipe for exhaust. I might also try replacing the fuel filter and putting some good fuel in it (i have no idea how old the fuel is that is in it now). i've tried rotating the distributor a little at a time both ways and haven't had much luck getting it to run any better. If i rotate it counter clockwise, it revs up really fast when i start it, but dies right away. If i turn it clockwise, i need to have my foot on the pedal to keep it running. i need it to stay running well enough to hook my timing light up to it and set it where it needs to be (book says 10*).

i'm beginning to think that it needs to have backpressure from the exhaust system before it can be timed. Today i started grinding apart the nasty welds someone applied to the exhaust system that looks like it was pieced together from scrap exhaust tubing. i think i can salvage the cat so i can get a bolt-on factory style intermediate pipe. I bought a cheap muffler, and it looks like the tailpipe is intact enough to reuse. The old muffler was rotted through. At one time it was welded to the pipe, but all i had to to is give it a good whack, and the whole thing fell off. Also, it seems that the only support the exhaust had previously was the y pipe and the rear axle. All of the hangers are rotted off.

i also pulled My Idle Air Control Solenoid and noticed it was pretty gummed up. i had my wife turn the key to the on position, and i noticed that it vibrates slightly and makes a little noise, but i don't see the valve open and close. If i remember right from the other Fords i've owned, it is supposed to move a little bit when you turn the key. How do you test these to make sure they are good?

 

[shadetree]

Backpressure has absolutely nothing to do with timing. You want as little backpressure as possible. If the exhaust system is clogged, depending on how bad the clog is, the engine will not rev, it will run rough, and may not idle properly.

When timing the distributor, make sure #1 cylinder is on the compression stroke. Remove #1 plug, put your finger over the hole, and rotate the engine until you feel compression on your finger, then watch the timing mark and align 0 to the pointer. Then set the distributor to #1 sparkplug.

The engine will idle with the spout removed, however the engine will not advance timing as the rpm's advance and it will kill power.

The spout is in the pink wire. I am not sure of the location.

Make sure the filter is clean, and the gas is fresh.shady

 

[Geeshik]

Fresh gas seemed to work wonders. I'm not sure if the connector by the ignition module is the spout connector anymore. The truck seems to advance fine without anything in that connector, and i put a paper clip in it once i got the truck running, just to see if it would idle smoother, and the truck died. i pulled it out and it took a while to start it again. Someone's got to know where it is. What happened to Wicked Sludge? He's got to know.

 

[Geeshik]

Someone's got to know about this...

I've been driving my truck for a couple of months now. It is a pooch on the highway though. It'll do 65 at around 3000rpm, but only in 4th gear, shifting up to 5th only bogs it down unless i'm going downhill, and it feels like there is just no room to run after that. I'm pretty sure i have 3.73 gears and i've got 31 inch tires on it.

It runs great at idle, but it just doesn't seem to have power that another '93 3.0 ranger had. (It was a 2wd and mine's a 4wd though.) When i set the timing, there was no shorting bar to remove. The connector is just to the left of the radiator (driver's side). I'm wondering if the timing is advancing like it should because there is no shorting bar in place.

What is the shorting bar/spout connector? Is it just a wire, or does it have a resistor inline or something? i tried putting a paper clip in the plug where it once was, and it stalled the engine. Does that mean the ignition control module isn't working properly?

 

[Trigger]

That should be it, It's small grey square looking thing.

 

[betomonroy]

try wicked_sludge@hotmail.com He is Ford Ranger God of knowledge.

 

[rhaase6]

I'm gonna resurrect this decade-old thread here, cause I'm having what sounds like a similar issue. I can time my engine without the spout connector in, but when I plug it back in, the engine runs awful. Did you ever figure this out?

 

[franklin2]

I'm gonna resurrect this decade-old thread here, cause I'm having what sounds like a similar issue. I can time my engine without the spout connector in, but when I plug it back in, the engine runs awful. Did you ever figure this out?

Most Ford engines are timed to around 10 BTDC with the spout plug pulled out. You can look on the radiator sticker to verify this. Is this what you are timing it to? If you set the timing too far advanced and then plug the spout back in, it will run lousy.

 

[rhaase6]

Yes, I warmed up the engine, turned it off, pulled the SPOUT connector, started it up, adjusted the timing to 10 deg BTDC, turned off, put the SPOUT back in. Started it, and the engine struggled and stumbled for a few seconds til I turned it off.

Thanks for replying to an old thread. I've got a more current one where I've asked about this as well: https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/index.php?threads/having-trouble-setting-timing.191037/#post-1807934